Many people have never heard the term “new energy.” The typical residential customer will turn on the lights after work and never think twice about the production of the power that ultimately allows the lights to come on. For decades, this power has been taken for granted and generated in the same ways, by burning some form of fuel that was harvested from the earth, these fuel sources typically being coal or oil. There are two main issues with burning fossil fuels to obtain electricity, first and foremost is that they create a by-product when burned that pollutes the atmosphere of the planet. Secondly these fuel types are limited in supply, and while many people think that the reserves of oil, coal and natural gas are unlimited, most scientists disagree. Humans have harvested much of the easily accessed fossil fuels, so now new deposits are generally found in areas that are not within the primary usage area. This means that areas like the United States and Europe pay enormous sums to other countries in order to import the fuel source for use. While negotiations between countries generally keep the fuel prices relatively affordable, we live every day with the knowledge that supply is limited and prices will only rise as shortages become more critical.

In the wake of these realizations, the push to develop new ways of generating power was born. The desire not only for energy independence but also for a cleaner atmosphere moved the progress of wind, solar and hydro-electric production methods along to the point where they have all became viable ways of producing electricity for public consumption. These “new energy” production methods are continually improving and evolving to become more reliable and less expensive, as solving these two issues would essentially eliminate the need for fossil fuel resources all together. If the methods behind the production of electricity through the use of renewable and clean fuel sources could be technologically improved to the point of production costs dipped lower than those of fossil fuels, there would no longer be a debate as to which direction to go.

Technology is an area that has been a driving factor in bringing costs for new energy down. This is beneficial as one of the major cost factors standing in the way of new energy production is how to manage cost of ownership damage repair and replacement that comes as a result of severe weather conditions. Due to the exposed nature of many of the components used in the processes, such as wind turbines and solar panels, lightning strikes are very common. While acute damage at the strike point is nearly unavoidable, the real significant costs associated with these events comes in the form of surge related damage to the circuitry of attached equipment. Downstream components are often overwhelmed by the excess voltage produced by a lightning strike and after surge, producing damage that must be repaired in order to restore functionality. Through the installation of advanced industrial surge protection devices at strategic points in the power production system, the damages as a result of overload can be avoided, reducing the amount of ongoing damage that happens. When expected damage levels are reduced, production costs are reduced, making the entire process more efficient. These lowered costs can be passed off to consumers as savings, creating a situation where new energy production methods quickly become the preferred method.